I recently went to an event hosted by Nelson US at Yula Spa in Manhattan, which was to introduce the full spectrum of Bach Rescue products and present a panel of holistic experts. I’m a first generation American, and most of my family still lives in Germany and England where homeopathic remedies are very common. In fact, there’s a pharmacy every few blocks in Munich, and nearly every one of them has some Bach products prominently displayed, and the original Nelsons pharmacy (still in business today) was established in London in 1860. Needless to say, I’ve grown up swearing by Bach homeopathic remedies in moments of stress.

Nelson, the maker of Bach, is one of the oldest homeopathic companies in the world. They make flower remedies, homeopathic singles, combination remedies, and topical formulations based on decades of tradition, to treat everyday ailments and provide a natural approach to health and wellness. I’m aware that some of the benefits I get from these remedies are rooted in a placebo effect, but studies have shown that this is true with anti-depressants as well. So unlike prescription meds, Bach comes with no risk of addiction. In fact, there are literally no possible negative side-effects to using their products, and they’re so safe that even pets and children can use them.

The Bach Original Flower Remedies were developed by Dr. Edward Bach, a Harley Street doctor and well known physician, bacteriologist, homeopath, and London researcher. He believed that attitude of the mind plays a vital role in maintaining health and recovering from illness and wanted to find something that treated the cause rather than the symptom. After identifying 38 basic negative states of mind, he created a plant or flower based remedy for each one based on the idea that “emotional health could open the door to physical health”. The five most common flower remedies were then combined to create Rescue Remedy which today comes in drop, cream, and spray forms. All you do is add a few drops to water, drop some drops on your tongue, rub some cream on your skin, or spray a few spritzes in your mouth whenever you’re stressed and it helps calm nerves and ease your mind, especially when combined with breathing exercises.

Stress can not only wreak havoc on our emotional core, but on our sleep cycle, and ultimately our appearance and the health of our skin and body as well. With the recent rise in alternative forms of medicine, I was excited to learn that Nelson has come out with remedies to treat the various states of stress we experience from the moment we wake up to the moment we fall asleep. They’ve got Rescue Energy (to get us past the 3 pm hump), Rescue Sleep (to treat recurring insomniac thoughts), Rescue Gel (to alleviate muscle tension), Rescue Balm (for lips, cuticles, etc), Rescue Cream (topical Rescue Remedy), Rescue Pastilles (gummy lozenges formulated with Rescue Remedy), and come June they will be releasing relaxation-inducing chewing gum. For those with very specific forms of stress, kits like an Emotional Eating Kit that ties into feelings of self-image and losing control are also available, along with all 38 of the original remedies.

I know that many who have never tried homeopathic remedies are dubious about their effectiveness, but with nothing to lose and everything to gain, there is no harm in testing them out – especially with them being so easily accessible (you can check them out at most any local Health Food Store). It only takes one day of intense stress for me to feel it in my body and notice it on my skin, dropping a few droplets of Rescue Remedy on my tongue throughout my day is a helpful (and healthful) reminder to keep things in perspective.

For more on this topic, one of the panelists at the event, Dr. Roberta A. Lee, has written a book The SuperStress Solution which explores how we can deal with stress and improve our health, quality of life, and ultimately both outer and inner beauty through lifestyle changes.